Post Benzo Freedom Withdrawal Support Group

[[ve...]]

c

[[ve...]]

Hope the post benzo buddies have had a good weekend.

 

hi vertigo,

everyday is a weekend for me. (still homebounded.)

 

really appreciate for what you are doing vertigo. 

 

I appreciate your appreciation Pacific Ocean .

 

Hang in there,

 

Vertigo

[[In...]]

Thank you so much for your support and sharing your experiences. As I'm sure you know it is so helpful to read details of how others have recovered, even if the timelines will vary from person to person. Take care!

[[Ma...]]

Just reporting in at about the 16 month mark. Was really really bad the past few months with horrible dizziness and the twitching/tweaking/stuttering that coincides with it. Glad to report the dizziness dropped to about 10% and so did all the other stuff. Amazing how they go hand in hand with me. When the dizziness is awful I twitch blink stutter real bad. So bad I hardly can go anywhere and even say order a sandwich at the deli. Well hoping this stays for a bit.

 

The 29th of May the local hospital where I did outpatient is holding their monthly meeting/roundtable and I am speaking to them all about the horrors of WD. It will be P Doc's, residents and students. I know they will poke at my back ground to see my history of all this and that I am crazy. however I have no history of all my symptoms prior to coming off and graduated with honors in multiple science degree's. Hope I can at least raise some eye brows.

[[In...]]

Wow Max, congrats on 16 months! I see in your signature you were on a large amount of K. Glad you are feeling better! It is wonderful that you are going to be educating some people about WD. It's a shame that they don't already know about it. I've been contemplating what I can do to raise benzo awareness once I'm feeling better. Would probably enjoy a job helping people face to face with going through this mess but don't have the education for it and not aware of anywhere that does that type of thing. Gonna have to keep digging. I look forward to hearing how your meeting goes, take care!

[[Bm...]]

Good Luck with you talk about benzo withdraw Max. It's so frustrating that there is no support in the USA for this. Why is this such a hush hush topic? I think some doctors have some idea but don't want to pursue the topic. I am a nurse and educate my patients on the medicines they are taking. This benzo w/d has taken me to a new level of educating!!

[[Ma...]]

Good Luck with you talk about benzo withdraw Max. It's so frustrating that there is no support in the USA for this. Why is this such a hush hush topic? I think some doctors have some idea but don't want to pursue the topic. I am a nurse and educate my patients on the medicines they are taking. This benzo w/d has taken me to a new level of educating!!

 

Thanks guys!

 

I think the main problem is this. In essence we are saying 'the medication you prescribe on a daily basis with no issues...did all this to me" They have too many patients that use them and have no issues. We are the minority in all this. Let's say Benzo's were taken away and they do not have a quick fix or first line treatment for anxiety and panic attacks. Benzo's are a life safer when you first take them in my opinion. When I first took them I was like wow, made any feelings of stress go away and I was so relaxed. That is the curse of them.  P doc's for the most part are medication managers. If you are not on some medicine they have no real reason to see you.

[[ve...]]

Thank you so much for your support and sharing your experiences. As I'm sure you know it is so helpful to read details of how others have recovered, even if the timelines will vary from person to person. Take care!

 

You're most welcome, Innadaze.  I hope month three will bring further relief and much healing.

 

Best,

 

Vertigo

[[ve...]]

Well, my weight has yo yo'd again and its time to get back on some weight lifting program to speed up my metabolism and take some of the pounds off.  When I was 9 months post taper, I discovered that I had put on about 20lbs, blood pressure was elevated... (doctor wanted to put me on a beta blocker...) after a summer of some poor eating choices, caffeinated sodas, some wine, too much junk food/chips... (not more than a few glasses a week but should not have introduced alchohol until a year post taper).  In that first year off the benzo,  I embarked on a lower carb diet and after about a month of gradual cardio build up, I started up with light weight lifting.  I lost 30lbs in three months that fall and my blood pressure was normal within two weeks .  However, I noticed adrenalin surges, early morning wake ups (5AM and feeling alert, not needing coffee or other stimulants...).  I think I may have also had some elevated cortisol that first year and might have been worsened with the weight lifting.  When I stopped the weight lifting a couple years ago, better sleep returned in 2011 and my anxiety and adrenalin went down. However I gained back the 25lbs since then  .

 

Now I need to lose about 15lbs in the next couple months and don't want to overdo it.  I've been lifting weights for a couple weeks now and I've started to wake up early again.  I wonder if I'm doing something wrong?  I try to do a different muscle group every other day and take one day a week to not do any lifting at all.  For example,I  might do curls and biceps one day, maybe some push ups, then bench press and triceps, sit ups... the next day or some squats.  Maybe I should do all the exercises every other day and take more days off? I am no expert with the weights. 

 

Anyone out there have any suggestions on how to avoid these early morning wake ups?  I don't lift weights at night and I don't eat anything after 9PM. Also, although I'm eating "lower carb", it's not anything drastic like Atkins.  I'd say I'm eating about 100 carbs a day right now and have lost about five pounds so far.  One thing I noticed when I embarked on the exercise program at nine months post taper, is that I felt generally fatigued, whereas I've always read that when you are regularly exercising and working out, one "should feel" more energy.  I did not have more energy in the day, but I would wake up early and have more alertness plus some anxiety in the mornings.  Now it's a couple years later and I'm hoping that I can handle the exercise and weight lifting/weight loss better.

 

Thanks,

 

Vertigo

[[Sv...]]

It takes a solid three weeks minimum to form a habit Vertigo, and that's certainly true with exercise. I know I got back into exercise at the start of my taper and it took time, especially at my age. Even though I was in this good habit, it all stopped after going into withdrawal, and now at week nine I'm trying to get back into it again.

 

Start with cardio for three weeks. Get up before work and go cycling for an hour or something equivalent. That will boost your metabolism for the rest of the day.

 

Develop a plan or goal and write it out. That way you have something to shoot for. After 3 or 4 weeks I'm guessing you'll be well on your way. 

 

Right now I'm doing elliptical 4 times per week for 30 minutes, chest/back twice per week, arms/shoulders twice per week, jog once per week a few miles, then 1 full 1.5 hour soccer match once per week. It's a start, but I'm working on it!

 

Good luck!

[[ve...]]

c

[[ve...]]

It takes a solid three weeks minimum to form a habit Vertigo, and that's certainly true with exercise. I know I got back into exercise at the start of my taper and it took time, especially at my age. Even though I was in this good habit, it all stopped after going into withdrawal, and now at week nine I'm trying to get back into it again.

 

Start with cardio for three weeks. Get up before work and go cycling for an hour or something equivalent. That will boost your metabolism for the rest of the day.

 

Develop a plan or goal and write it out. That way you have something to shoot for. After 3 or 4 weeks I'm guessing you'll be well on your way. 

 

Right now I'm doing elliptical 4 times per week for 30 minutes, chest/back twice per week, arms/shoulders twice per week, jog once per week a few miles, then 1 full 1.5 hour soccer match once per week. It's a start, but I'm working on it!

 

Good luck!

 

Thanks Svenhoak.  Well, I did start about a month ago with cardio, gradual build up to half an hour on the stationary bike plus some four to five mile walks with my dog.  Started with the weights about two and a half weeks ago, nothing heavy.  When I started, I could maybe do a few push ups, which really told me I was in bad shape again.  I was doing several sets of 12 when I stopped the weights two years ago.  Anyway, I'm doing about 8-10 push ups now and getting stronger, will soon be up to two sets of 10.  Your workout sounds reasonable plus the soccer sounds like a great workout and fun .

[[Sv...]]

Keep it up Vertigo!  I know I'm still super weak in comparison to just before withdrawal, but hope it comes back. I know the remeron is adding to the weight gain for me, so that may be part of your situation too.

[[pa...]]

hello everyone,

 

need your help on my worst symptom. do not know why and how this is happening.

 

every night, starts to have little anxiety feeling and nervousness. after that my brain goes into "panic attack" mode without any physical symptoms. it's just in my brain only. it's very intense and lasting very long.(up to 6 hours.)

it's like my brain has been revved up.

 

i was like this since taking the benzo.(almost a year now.)

used to take klonopin 9:00pm, and would give me a relif afterward.

been benzo free for 40 days now.

any ideas or supports will be greatly appreciated.

[[Ho...]]

Well, my weight has yo yo'd again and its time to get back on some weight lifting program to speed up my metabolism and take some of the pounds off.  When I was 9 months post taper, I discovered that I had put on about 20lbs, blood pressure was elevated... (doctor wanted to put me on a beta blocker...) after a summer of some poor eating choices, caffeinated sodas, some wine, too much junk food/chips... (not more than a few glasses a week but should not have introduced alchohol until a year post taper).  In that first year off the benzo,  I embarked on a lower carb diet and after about a month of gradual cardio build up, I started up with light weight lifting.  I lost 30lbs in three months that fall and my blood pressure was normal within two weeks .  However, I noticed adrenalin surges, early morning wake ups (5AM and feeling alert, not needing coffee or other stimulants...).  I think I may have also had some elevated cortisol that first year and might have been worsened with the weight lifting.  When I stopped the weight lifting a couple years ago, better sleep returned in 2011 and my anxiety and adrenalin went down. However I gained back the 25lbs since then  .

 

Now I need to lose about 15lbs in the next couple months and don't want to overdo it.  I've been lifting weights for a couple weeks now and I've started to wake up early again.  I wonder if I'm doing something wrong?  I try to do a different muscle group every other day and take one day a week to not do any lifting at all.  For example,I  might do curls and biceps one day, maybe some push ups, then bench press and triceps, sit ups... the next day or some squats.  Maybe I should do all the exercises every other day and take more days off? I am no expert with the weights. 

 

Anyone out there have any suggestions on how to avoid these early morning wake ups?  I don't lift weights at night and I don't eat anything after 9PM. Also, although I'm eating "lower carb", it's not anything drastic like Atkins.  I'd say I'm eating about 100 carbs a day right now and have lost about five pounds so far.  One thing I noticed when I embarked on the exercise program at nine months post taper, is that I felt generally fatigued, whereas I've always read that when you are regularly exercising and working out, one "should feel" more energy.  I did not have more energy in the day, but I would wake up early and have more alertness plus some anxiety in the mornings.  Now it's a couple years later and I'm hoping that I can handle the exercise and weight lifting/weight loss better.

 

Thanks,

 

Vertigo

 

Hey man, good to see ya.

 

Be careful not to eat too little. Too little carbs/calories will make your body think its starving. When the body is in starvation mode, it will start piling all the fat on it possibly can and will not burn it. Eat at least 1800 calories a day.

[[pa...]]

hello everyone,

 

need your help on my worst symptom. do not know why and how this is happening.

 

every night, starts to have little anxiety feeling and nervousness. after that my brain goes into "panic attack" mode without any physical symptoms. it's just in my brain only. it's very intense and lasting very long.(up to 6 hours.)

it's like my brain has been revved up.

 

i was like this since taking the benzo.(almost a year now.)

used to take klonopin 9:00pm, and would give me a relif afterward.

been benzo free for 40 days now.

any ideas or supports will be greatly appreciated.

hello buddies,

seriously need your help. tonight, it's too intense and lasting very long. used to ease out by now, and it's not happening.

[[pr...]]

hi pacific,

 

i hope someone can come and ease your mind. i know the brain symptoms are very scary. i've had mostly brain sxs for 13 months straight now. it's just the transmitter's firing off and so it gives this sensation of revved up. although not exactly sure what your brain sxs are doing since you said that it's different than mine? but i sure know what a revved up brain feels like as mine is still very revved up.

 

i do hope someone can come along here to give us both a better definition of what is happening. but when my brain is doing things that makes it very scary for me, or feels like there is something inside my brain that the doctor put or feels like something else is wrong--i say to myself (even if i don't believe it) that there is major healing going on.

 

pretty

[[pa...]]

hi pacific,

 

i hope someone can come and ease your mind. i know the brain symptoms are very scary. i've had mostly brain sxs for 13 months straight now. it's just the transmitter's firing off and so it gives this sensation of revved up. although not exactly sure what your brain sxs are doing since you said that it's different than mine? but i sure know what a revved up brain feels like as mine is still very revved up.

 

i do hope someone can come along here to give us both a better definition of what is happening. but when my brain is doing things that makes it very scary for me, or feels like there is something inside my brain that the doctor put or feels like something else is wrong--i say to myself (even if i don't believe it) that there is major healing going on.

 

pretty

 

why is it happening every night at same time?

if it's panic attack, isn't there suppose to be some physical symptoms also? and, why does it not happen during the day time?

another funny part is that before having this symptom, which is late in the afternoon, it's my best time of the day. very relaxed and calm. almost feel normal except for the physical symptoms. ugh.

[[pr...]]

hi pacific,

 

i hope someone can come and ease your mind. i know the brain symptoms are very scary. i've had mostly brain sxs for 13 months straight now. it's just the transmitter's firing off and so it gives this sensation of revved up. although not exactly sure what your brain sxs are doing since you said that it's different than mine? but i sure know what a revved up brain feels like as mine is still very revved up.

 

i do hope someone can come along here to give us both a better definition of what is happening. but when my brain is doing things that makes it very scary for me, or feels like there is something inside my brain that the doctor put or feels like something else is wrong--i say to myself (even if i don't believe it) that there is major healing going on.

 

pretty

 

why is it happening every night at same time?

if it's panic attack, isn't there suppose to be some physical symptoms also? and, why does it not happen during the day time?

another funny part is that before having this symptom, which is late in the afternoon, it's my best time of the day. very relaxed and calm. almost feel normal except for the physical symptoms. ugh.

 

well, i'm not sure why it's happening every night at the same time. but i will tell you this--my first 3-4 months after the cold turkey, i could not sleep at all and i was hallucinating. my brain had this revved up thing right on the left front only. i was hallucinating so i saw this metal stick with another metal revving around it. (but i wasn't really there but i could see it)

 

anyway, every night at around 7pm all of a sudden i would get so tired and i would be able to fall asleep but every time i would start to go under and fall asleep i would be awaken because my brain was not able to go down past that slow wave of sleep and  my brain would rev up even more. it was so frustrating and i was exhausted. i thought i was going to have to kill myself for sure because i couldn't sleep and everytime i tried my brain would not let me go past that slow wave.

 

so, my feeling is for you--that that could be a similar thing happening with your brain. since it comes at the same time every night. i am thinking that when you start to feel relaxed and start getting tired--your brain is doing the same thing that mine was doing, it's starts to rev up. does that make sense? do you think that is a possibility of what could be happening?

 

the brain for some reason starts to have the sensation of revving up when we are feeling sleepy or tired or relaxed. there is another woman on here who that happened to as well.

[[pr...]]

i also really think that is why it doesn't happen during the day time. because your brain is more awake in the beta state. i think that when your brain goes into a more relaxed state like alpha and theta (the two states before sleep which is delta) it starts to do some healing and repairing. that is the time when the body does the most repair work anyway.

[[pa...]]

i also really think that is why it doesn't happen during the day time. because your brain is more awake in the beta state. i think that when your brain goes into a more relaxed state like alpha and theta (the two states before sleep which is delta) it starts to do some healing and repairing. that is the time when the body does the most repair work anyway.

 

when i said relaxed and calm, do not mean tired. rather, i am very much alive. more energy, strength, think more clearly, and almost feel like myself. that's what i meant pretty. (did not mean tired or exhausted.)

[[pa...]]

hi pretty,

 

it isn't until recent, i started to have some sleep.(3 ~ 4 hours.)

i was sleep deprived for almost 10 months. even with all those poisons, i was sleeping only few hours.(more of fake sleep or resting.)

[[ve...]]

Well, my weight has yo yo'd again and its time to get back on some weight lifting program to speed up my metabolism and take some of the pounds off.  When I was 9 months post taper, I discovered that I had put on about 20lbs, blood pressure was elevated... (doctor wanted to put me on a beta blocker...) after a summer of some poor eating choices, caffeinated sodas, some wine, too much junk food/chips... (not more than a few glasses a week but should not have introduced alchohol until a year post taper).  In that first year off the benzo,  I embarked on a lower carb diet and after about a month of gradual cardio build up, I started up with light weight lifting.  I lost 30lbs in three months that fall and my blood pressure was normal within two weeks .  However, I noticed adrenalin surges, early morning wake ups (5AM and feeling alert, not needing coffee or other stimulants...).  I think I may have also had some elevated cortisol that first year and might have been worsened with the weight lifting.  When I stopped the weight lifting a couple years ago, better sleep returned in 2011 and my anxiety and adrenalin went down. However I gained back the 25lbs since then  .

 

Now I need to lose about 15lbs in the next couple months and don't want to overdo it.  I've been lifting weights for a couple weeks now and I've started to wake up early again.  I wonder if I'm doing something wrong?  I try to do a different muscle group every other day and take one day a week to not do any lifting at all.  For example,I  might do curls and biceps one day, maybe some push ups, then bench press and triceps, sit ups... the next day or some squats.  Maybe I should do all the exercises every other day and take more days off? I am no expert with the weights. 

 

Anyone out there have any suggestions on how to avoid these early morning wake ups?  I don't lift weights at night and I don't eat anything after 9PM. Also, although I'm eating "lower carb", it's not anything drastic like Atkins.  I'd say I'm eating about 100 carbs a day right now and have lost about five pounds so far.  One thing I noticed when I embarked on the exercise program at nine months post taper, is that I felt generally fatigued, whereas I've always read that when you are regularly exercising and working out, one "should feel" more energy.  I did not have more energy in the day, but I would wake up early and have more alertness plus some anxiety in the mornings.  Now it's a couple years later and I'm hoping that I can handle the exercise and weight lifting/weight loss better.

 

Thanks,

 

Vertigo

 

Hey man, good to see ya.

 

Be careful not to eat too little. Too little carbs/calories will make your body think its starving. When the body is in starvation mode, it will start piling all the fat on it possibly can and will not burn it. Eat at least 1800 calories a day.

 

Hey Donny.  Thanks for the tip.  I'm really not doing an intense "low carb" diet.  I would describe it as "lower" carb.  I probably am consuming around 1800 to 2000 calories although I'm not really counting.  When I start to lift weights, I usually don't really have to limit my food intake all that much to start shedding pounds.  I pretty much just have to stop eating bread and frivolous sweets like cookies and kid cereal which my son still eats in the morning.  I find the Kavli crackers to be very helpful.  I lost another pound yesterday, which makes about 8 pounds in six weeks since I first started consistent cardio exercise and almost three weeks since I started the weights.  Just need another five to six pounds or so to fit into my suit for a family reunion this summer .  Only problem is that I'm up again at 5AM when I don't need to be up for another 90 minutes or so .  How are things going for you?

 

Cheers,

 

Vertigo

[[ve...]]

hello everyone,

 

need your help on my worst symptom. do not know why and how this is happening.

 

every night, starts to have little anxiety feeling and nervousness. after that my brain goes into "panic attack" mode without any physical symptoms. it's just in my brain only. it's very intense and lasting very long.(up to 6 hours.)

it's like my brain has been revved up.

 

i was like this since taking the benzo.(almost a year now.)

used to take klonopin 9:00pm, and would give me a relif afterward.

been benzo free for 40 days now.

any ideas or supports will be greatly appreciated.

 

Hi Pacific O.  Are you currently working?  Do you have anything stressful going on at work right now?  Sometimes one can ruminate the night before a big project or event.  Other than that, it could just be a temporary phase as your body and mind  keeps adjusting to being off the benzo.  It can almost be like a paradoxical reaction where you start to feel calmer and your CNS says "wait a minute, I'm supposed to be anxious and so it goes in the opposite direction for a time".  I had my first mini panic attack at around 3 months off and again at 5-6 months off valium.  Never had  panic before, more of a rebound thing to being off valium I think.  It has helped me to read up on anxiety and mindfulness.  Sometimes how one reacts to these events can be as important as the inital anxious sensations to begin with.

 

Best,

 

Vertigo

[[pa...]]

hello everyone,

 

need your help on my worst symptom. do not know why and how this is happening.

 

every night, starts to have little anxiety feeling and nervousness. after that my brain goes into "panic attack" mode without any physical symptoms. it's just in my brain only. it's very intense and lasting very long.(up to 6 hours.)

it's like my brain has been revved up.

 

i was like this since taking the benzo.(almost a year now.)

used to take klonopin 9:00pm, and would give me a relif afterward.

been benzo free for 40 days now.

any ideas or supports will be greatly appreciated.

 

Hi Pacific O.  Are you currently working?  Do you have anything stressful going on at work right now?  Sometimes one can ruminate the night before a big project or event.  Other than that, it could just be a temporary phase as your body and mind  keeps adjusting to being off the benzo.  It can almost be like a paradoxical reaction where you start to feel calmer and your CNS says "wait a minute, I'm supposed to be anxious and so it goes in the opposite direction for a time".  I had my first mini panic attack at around 3 months off and again at 5-6 months off valium.  Never had  panic before, more of a rebound thing to being off valium I think.  It has helped me to read up on anxiety and mindfulness.  Sometimes how one reacts to these events can be as important as the inital anxious sensations to begin with.

 

Best,

 

Vertigo

 

hi vertigo,

ever since taking benzo, i was homebounded.

if you don't mind, please visit the post that i made. here's the link.

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=82036.0